Trucks shield girl in French highway fall

| Tuesday, August 13, 2002

A 3-year-old
girl who fell from a car onto a busy French highway last week
was saved from being run over when two truckers maneuvered their
rigs to form a protective shield around her, according to a published
report.

Police said
the girl opened a door and tumbled onto the freeway - one of the
main routes of France's southern coast - as her parents continued
driving near the town of Montelimar.

A trucker
trailing the vehicle saw the girl fall and managed to brake and
position his semi to protect her from traffic. A second trucker
then helped form an impromptu shield around her.

The injured
child managed to scramble on to the shoulder. The girl reportedly
is recovering in a local hospital, having suffered a slight skull
injury.